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A Bigger Driver Pool Through Immigration Reform?

An immigration reform bill in Congress could ease the truck driver shortage by giving undocumented immigrants a path to legal status and, potentially, the ability to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License.

President Obama is making immigration reform a major goal for his second term. In the wake of the 2012 presidential election, many Republicans are saying the time has come to reconsider their party’s hardline stance.

The bill, introduced by the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” senators, will make major changes in the immigration system, including creating a way for the 11 million illegal immigrants now in the country to come out from the shadows and work legally.

The bill also would reform the visa system to accommodate more workers in the category that may include truck drivers.

These changes would be tied to toughened border security to keep out illegals, including a $3 billion program for beefed-up surveillance and patrolling.

Not an easy process

The process of moving from the undocumented shadow-land to legal status will not be easy.

The bill would create a Registered Provisional Immigrant Status, under which a person could work for any employer.

To win that status, the person would have to pay a $500 penalty and assessed taxes, as well as application fees. Anyone convicted of a felony or three or more misdemeanors, or who has voted illegally, would not be eligible. The provisional status would last for six years, renewable upon payment of another $500 penalty.

After 10 years in provisional status, a person could apply for Lawful Permanent Resident Status through the Green Card application method, which requires payment of all taxes, regular work and the ability to speak English.

The visa reform would create a new category for lower-skilled workers, possibly including truck drivers, who will work for registered employers.

The decision about how many such W-Visa workers could be admitted in any given year would be made by a new independent agency in the Department of Homeland Security. The number would be capped at 20,000 in 2015 and range up to 75,000 by 2019. After that, the agency would make a determination year by year.

Employers would have to apply to participate in this program. They also would be required to phase in the E-Verify system, which includes biometric identification of non-citizens.

It is too soon to know how this bill will fare in Congress. It has many supporters but will face stiff opposition from those who consider any path to citizenship an “amnesty” program.

ATA paying close attention

American Trucking Associations is paying close attention. The program could significantly increase the number of potential truck drivers, although they would have to meet Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requirements for a CDL.

Driver demographics are changing and truck fleets are asking where they’ll find the next group of qualified drivers, says Dave Osiecki, senior vice president of policy and regulatory affairs.

“ATA is watching the development of immigration reform with a view toward the impact it might have on the driver shortage,” he said. “It’s one of a number of solutions, including the veterans programs.”

Osiecki anticipates that the issue will be discussed at the ATA leadership meeting in May.

Comments

How convenient that they will declare many of the American drivers medically unfit to create a shortage.

2.jeff clark[ April 18, 2013 @ 07:36AM ]

Pay and treat drivers better and the shortage will go away.

3.Dave[ April 18, 2013 @ 08:08AM ]

I fail to see the need to be looking for hiring Green card or Visa drivers when we have upright Service men and women returning home from the service after serving for there Country. Let's take care of our own 1st and foremost. If companies would pay there drivers good fair wages and such we already have a ton of people with CDL's and good driving records but there are so many carriers out there that don't treat people fairly and with respect that they deserve. If the owners of those companies or there operation people got treated like a lot of the drivers have been treated over the years I'm sure they would look for something else to do for a living.

4.Kurt[ April 18, 2013 @ 08:17AM ]

So by making people that were criminals legal, and using them to drive trucks, will that improve the conditions, quality and safety in the transportation industry? I think not.

5.Mac[ April 18, 2013 @ 11:08AM ]

The dwindling pool of drivers is due to conditions of low pay relevant to required duties.

6.Dick[ April 22, 2013 @ 06:10AM ]

There is no so called "Driver Shortage"...??? Big Business and Big Government is the problem. Truck drivers are not even included in the Fair Labor Standards Act. Go Figure and give me a break!!!

7.Ken Marinelli[ April 22, 2013 @ 12:13PM ]

I ran 48 states for a few years. I got sick of long wait times for loading and unloading, and having to unload freight and not being fairly paid for it. Drivers should drive. And sleep during loading and unloading. Period. Do that, and I might come back.

8.Barb[ April 23, 2013 @ 06:56AM ]

Driver shortage?? Cannot believe that. The bigger problems are just starting. Outrageous tolls, drivers cannot speak or read english (regulation violation) treating drivers like they are killers in trucks, telling them when the can sleep, paying them minimum wages for hard work. The biggest problem is respect & the government's we say so people that need to learn what it is like on the road and how they are problem.

9.ripped off[ April 30, 2013 @ 08:43PM ]

The PAY is about 1/2 of what it should be for being on the job 24/7 for approx 2 weeks on and 2 days at Home? Are you kidding..the after tax PAY for this job is PATHETIC in todays dollars it wont buy much. Other trades pay FAR better and you never leave town!! Nobody isn their Right Mind would want to be a Truck Driver in this LOW Pay envirionment..the wages have remained the SAME for 20 years.

10.Ray Puckett[ December 03, 2014 @ 01:07PM ]

Immigration is not broken, the laws are being broken. The ATA and all wealthy trucking tycoons as well as other industrial elites stand in the way of securing the borders due to their need of slave labor. It all biols down to a cheap labor pool. It has been going on for the last 3o years at a high rate of speed. We have seen good paying construction jobs go out the window in exchange for low paid Hispanic labor. It is in all industry food processing centers, warehousing, customer service, etc. The only industry that seemed safe in terms of wage growth was the trucking industry however we all knew that if there is a will the rich trucking tycoons will find a way. The ways and means of making sure the cheap labor makes its way to the USA is by way of contributions to the servants of the people, the congress. Money talks and illegals will walk....! The USA is failing and the greedy and Godless cannot understand why.

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